Downloaded from YTS.MX
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
Hi, this is Lucy.
Leave a message.
Hi, sorry I missed you again.
So, I have one quick meeting with my mentor
and then I'm on my way to you.
I will meet you in Town Square
and then we're gonna wrap that tree in so much tinsel
they're gonna be able to see it from outer space.
I love you, call me back.
Come in.
Merry Christmas.
Sharon, congratulations.
How do you feel?
I am still in absolute shock.
I mean, the MacAdam's Fellowship,
it's one of those things that you joke
about winning but I never actually expected to be nominated.
Well, I can't think of anybody more deserving.
Come.
Okay.
I know I'm not supposed to ask, but did you nominate me?
Sharon Harper, you know as well as I do
that nominations are to remain anonymous.
But on a completely unrelated note, Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Look, they already know
that you're a brilliant neuroscientist.
If you wanna stand out, you're gonna
have to focus on the future, not the past.
Tell them how you'd like to change the world.
Don't overthink it.
Do you have any fun holiday plans?
I do.
Yes, I am going home now to celebrate
with my cousin Lucy and her husband.
Is this the first time you're going home since--
The funeral, yeah.
I've gotten quite a few messages
from my grandmother's estate attorney
about my part of the will, and so I have to handle that.
But it's gonna be great.
My grandmother loved Christmas,
so it's the perfect way to celebrate her.
That sounds great.
Is your town the kinda town that likes
to go all out for Christmas?
There she is.
I'm here!
Where are you?
Oh, sorry, I went home.
My feet were killing me.
Can you scoop me up here instead?
Of course, I will come to you.
You okay, Shar-bear?
Yeah, you know, it's strange being back.
When I was here in January--
It was not exactly the most wonderful time of the year.
Yeah.
I'm actually having a real hard time
getting in the spirit this year without her.
I can't even imagine how much harder it must be for you.
Oh stop, she was your grandmother, too.
Gramma Vera was the world's best grandmother to me,
but she raised you.
Yes, yes, and she also taught us
that no matter how hard things get
that Christmas is an all-out joy fest
and we are not gonna let our Christmas blues
get in the way of celebrating her.
We are going to do this thing right.
Which way are you facing?
Towards the Christmas shop.
Okay, turn, turn, turn, stop.
You are a genius.
I am getting us a dozen snickerdoodles.
Oh, actually, could you get me
salted chocolate chip cookies and a jar of mayo?
Sharon?
Okay, see ya soon.
Sharon.
- Andrea, hi. - Hey.
Oh, it's so good to see you.
It's so good to see you.
I was hoping that you could swing
by the counseling center.
We renamed it after Gramma Vera.
Naturally, since she was its founder.
I did not hear that.
That is so wonderful.
- I know. - Aww.
Sharon Harper, is that you?
Hi, Miss Pat.
How are you?
I'm headed to Holly and Ivy.
- Oh me, too. - Let's go.
Yeah, okay.
Good morning.
I read about your latest study in Psychology Now.
Oh.
It looks like it got excellent peer reviews.
Thank you so much for reading it.
Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it.
Coffee, black, and a plain croissant.
Now, I heard a rumor that you are nominated
for some big fancy award?
The MacAdam's Fellowship, yeah.
It's a creative award.
But I thought you were a scientist.
Well, science is very creative.
I am so excited for you.
- Sharon. - Yeah?
Ethel, oh.
Snickerdoodles.
How did you know?
Hi, oh.
Nick, Nick, get out here.
Yeah, I'm comin', comin', comin'.
Oh, it's little Sharon Snickerdoodle Harper.
Hey, where's Lucy?
Well, that's actually why I'm here.
She would like a dozen of the salted chocolate chip cookies,
specific craving request.
I'm on it.
Thank you.
Now, Vera did say that you weren't married,
- and I think my David - Nope.
would be a wonderful
option for you.
David? Please.
My Wyatt is handsome and a fire fighter.
- Sharon. - Yes.
Sharon Harper.
Hi.
Sam Taylor, your grandmother's estate attorney.
Oh!
Oh yeah, of course, it's nice to meet you.
- Likewise. - Yeah.
Pardon me, do you have a quick second to chat?
Absolutely, yup.
Thank you.
These are on the house.
Oh, thank you, guys.
I will be seeing you soon.
- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much.
Trust me, I've been there.
They mean well, but it can be a lot.
Have we met?
I am your grandmother's estate attorney.
That was not just great improv.
No, no, no, that's not it.
I'm also her nextdoor neighbor.
Yes!
Yes, Sam, Sam.
See, I knew you looked familiar.
I've heard so much about you.
- Really? - Yeah.
I've heard a lot about you, too.
It's nice to officially meet you
outside of a few neighborly waves.
Yeah, well, work has been so busy
that Christmas has been more of a fly-in,
fly-out extravaganza for the last,
well, how long have you been here?
Mm, six years?
Six years, wow.
Just so weird we never met.
It's always busy at the holidays,
probably just bad timing.
So, if you have a little bit of time tomorrow,
maybe we could go through the last part
of your grandmom's will.
Actually, do you have time today?
Four o'clock?
Sounds great.
- Okay. - Bye.
For me?
You shouldn't have.
I didn't!
Sorry, Roland, you have been usurped by your child-to-be.
- Hey. - Merry Christmas.
- Wow. - I know.
I look like I'm short two wise men.
Listen, I was hoping you'd talk
some frankincense into your cousin.
Ah, there's that wit.
She's very excited to see you,
but she's also quite--
Fully capable of deciding what she can
and can't handle.
- Hi. - Thank you, sweetie.
Hi.
You look so amazing.
Thank you.
Oh, it's so good to see you.
Oh, good to see you.
You got the goods?
Oh yes, how could I forget.
- Ah, the goods. - What is all this?
The goods, cookies.
- And? - Mayo.
Thank you, yum.
- Okay. - Yum.
Do you wanna take these inside?
Yup.
Thank you.
Okay, bye, sweetie.
Bye, have fun.
I could understand if you were a little nervous
to be back at her house because--
This is the first time I'm staying here without her.
- Right. - Right.
But I am not gonna let that overshadow
a lifetime of happy memories, right?
Right.
Because you're not gonna do it alone.
Oh, okay.
All right.
You ready?
Yup.
Thank you.
So, tell me about this crazy award again.
The award is half a million dollars.
Half a million dollars?
Yeah, yeah, and you can use it to advance your expertise
or jumpstart a new project, change career paths altogether,
but either way, it is insane that someone nominated me.
No it isn't.
You've always been super smart.
Oh, thank you.
Well, the interview is on the 30th and I just have
to come up with a plan of how I would use the money.
Knowing you, I'm sure you've come up
with a color-coded hundred-page plan.
It is 50 pages, thank you very much.
And color-coded.
But I will probably use the money for my research
if I get it, and that is a big if.
Where's the...
- Sharon. - Yeah?
Take a break.
Not until I hang the "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments.
Do it later.
No!
These were my favorite when I was a kid, especially the--
- Two turtle doves, I know. - That's right.
I remember the tears the year I tried
to hang it instead of letting you.
You know what, that was my ornament
and Gramma Vera said so.
Oh, I gotta go, I'm gonna be late.
I will see you in an hour.
- I love you. - Okay.
Yeah?
Okay.
Love you, too.
Just one second, let me make sure
everything is in order.
Oh, this is your daughter, Mikayla, right?
Yes, although she's twice as big and twice as loud now.
She's really cute.
Gramma Vera talked a lot about her.
Yeah, we like to claim Vera as family.
We got very close after Mikayla's mom died.
I really felt like she should talk to someone
and there's no one better than Vera.
That is true.
I'm sorry about your wife.
Thank you.
I'm really sorry about your grandma.
Thanks.
Would you like to have a seat?
Yeah.
Okay.
I didn't know that Gramma Vera was Mikayla's therapist.
I mean, not that she would've ever said anything.
No, no, I guess that makes sense.
Help yourself.
Thank you, never pass up a cookie.
Okay, so, here's the deal.
Vera knew that you had a very full life
outside of Pine Springs, and she did not want you
to feel obligated to have to maintain a house
that was in a town that you didn't wanna live in.
She also wanted to make sure that you got the decision
before it went to someone else since you grew up here.
She is still somehow the most considerate human being
I have ever known.
This is where it gets tricky, though.
She has compiled a list of Harper family
Christmas traditions and she would like you
to complete all of them before Christmas,
at which point and time you would then be able
to make the decision about the house.
I'm gonna let her explain it to you.
Wait, what?
She thought it might be better coming from her.
After Jennie died, I really wished that I had
more things with her voice, and so we both agreed
that it might be nice to record her explanation.
Okay, so I'm gonna just leave this here,
and you just press play whenever you're ready.
I'm gonna step outside, just give you a second.
Let me know when it's ready.
Oh, I pushed record, you can start anytime.
Oh, well , that's not a great start.
Say hi to Sharon, Sam.
Hi, Sharon.
Right, okay.
My dearest Sharon, please know that I
am squeezing you right now, even if you can't feel it.
I am so proud of the woman you've become, Shar-bear.
After your mother passed away, it occurred to me
that I might leave this world while you're
still fairly young, so I started jotting down
the family Christmas traditions in these journals
so you'll always have a connection
to the Harper women who love you.
So these are yours, written to you because I know
this first Christmas without me might be hard.
In my experience, having something positive to focus on
is the best way to keep going.
And, because, my little scientist, I know you
love clear parameters for an experiment,
I'm giving you until Christmas to complete
12 of these traditions, one for each
of our cherished "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments.
And I promise you, if you do 12 of these by Christmas,
you won't need more time.
You'll know if this house and this town
are the place for you or not.
There's no wrong answer, Sharon, only discovery.
Oh, I want you to know that so much, my love.
From here there is only discovery.
I love you.
Hey, how are you doing?
Good.
I'm good.
Would you like some water?
No, no, it's okay.
You know what, I think I'm just gonna go
and process all of this, ya know?
Okay, if there's anything else I can do for you.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, no.
Thank you so much.
- Thank you, and for the cookie. - Of course, yeah.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
Hey, and remember I live right nextdoor.
- Yep. - Truly sorry.
I know, thank you so much, thank you.
How are you feeling?
I am feeling like someone cracked my heart open
and fried it like an egg.
That is vivid, but understandable.
Wow.
I really just thought that I was gonna relax,
sign some papers, and then get back to work.
But it's sweet in a way.
It sounds like she was worried about this first Christmas
and wanted to give you something positive to focus on.
Something positive to focus on.
It's tough, but it's important to remember
that we're hurting because we lost someone worth missing.
Have you ever heard of synaptic pruning?
How did we get here?
Okay, so.
Our brains are full of neurons that are wired together,
and these connections, they get stronger or weaker
based on our experiences, so what we focus on grows.
Okay, so, if we focus on the sad things,
then our brains will theoretically rewire
to focus on the sad things, but if we focus
on the happy things, say our grandmother's
amazing Christmas traditions--
- Wait. - Those things
will grow and our brains will rewire to focus
on the love, not the loss.
I'm not gonna bypass my grief with positivity.
Besides, Gramma Vera always said,
sometimes you just have to sit with the hard things.
Or, or we could go ice skating,
or have a cup of the best hot cocoa in town,
or decorate the house.
She said those things, too, and wouldn't that
feel so much better?
I wish I had your energy, but this?
This is hard for me still, and I was hoping
with you home I wouldn't be alone in that.
But you won't be alone, you won't.
We would be doing these things together
and then she would also get to be a part of it.
Do you remember that every year
there is a competition on our street
for best Christmas lights?
We may not take top prize every year,
but I am proud to say our house never disappoints.
Ooh.
Hey.
Hi, I just wanted to check on you
and see how you were doin'.
I feel really bad about the way
things went down in my office.
- I shouldn't have sprung it - Don't.
- on you like that. - No, don't.
It's fine.
You know, I'm actually really excited about this.
It gives me something positive to focus on.
- Okay, well. - Yeah.
You sure you wanna start positively focusing tonight?
It's gonna be dark in like 11 minutes.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
I got a little overexcited.
Look, in my experience, sometimes plans can--
Sam, you seem like a great guy.
Gramma Vera's five-star review of you
feels pretty accurate, and I appreciate your concern,
but I'm doin' great, I am.
I mean, crossing off a list is very satisfying
for my type A, puzzle-loving brain.
I mean, there are such doozies as, ya know,
watching a Christmas movie marathon
while wearing fuzzy socks.
Yeah.
Thank you, thank you, though.
I will let you know when I've
made a decision about the house.
- Okay. - Okay.
Well, see, now that's a rookie mistake.
You always put the clips on the lights
before you climb the ladder.
You know, so that...
Okay, I can't watch this anymore.
Mikayla, go run and get your coat!
Okay, Uncle Alex!
Excuse me, hi.
You look like you could use a hand.
You know what, if my 83 year-old grandmother
can do it, so can I.
She didn't.
She asked me to do it, at least for, like,
the last couple years anyways.
I'm Alex, by the way, and this is--
Oh, the famous Mikayla!
Gramma Vera talked so much about you.
She did?
Yeah.
Are you Dr. Harper?
I am, but you can call me Sharon.
Gramma Vera told me that once you get a doctorate,
everybody has to call you Doctor
and I thought that was pretty cool.
It is pretty cool.
Are you finished decorating inside yet?
Because I used to be one of Gramma Vera's best helpers.
I heard that.
I heard that last year you were her very best elf.
Well, I still have to buy a tree,
and I have to decorate it.
By yourself?
I think I can handle a tree.
No, I'm not saying you can't, I'm just sayin'
that can and have to might be different things.
♪ Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree ♪
♪ Your leaves are so
The only things that I really know about you,
Gramma Vera told me.
So, tell me somethin' about yourself.
Oh, I'm the lawyer, I should be the one interrogating.
I will point to exhibit A.
I was raised by a therapist.
Oh, good point.
Yeah.
What do you wanna know?
That's sweet.
That's kinda nice.
How do you like your coffee?
Black.
Coffee with milk and sugar defeats
the whole point of drinking coffee.
What is your most controversial opinion?
Oh, hmm.
I don't believe in naps.
What, naps are life.
I do believe in late, lazy Saturday mornings, though.
- Yeah, that's just. - Yeah.
What is your version of the most wonderful time of year?
Well, I have a 10 year-old, so, whatever makes her happy.
Yeah, but you must have some kind of preferences,
you know, some things that you love.
Dr. Sharon, what about this one?
Well now this I love.
It's perfect.
What do you think?
Whatever you like.
It's the one.
Okay, one, two, three.
Okay, you good?
- Yeah. - Alrighty.
Thank you, guys.
Yeah, let's get this thing decorated.
Come on, guys.
- Hey, you-- - Oh, you know what,
you don't have to, sweetie.
Hey, Mikayla, make sure Uncle Alex
doesn't get pine needles all over her house, please.
On it.
Look, do not feel obligated to have her help,
but if you do need an extra set of hands,
she really loved doing this with Vera last year.
You know what, that would be really nice.
It's kind of empty in there decorating the house by myself.
Oh, I get that.
Take it from me, nothing fills up an empty house
like an enthusiastic 10 year-old.
I put all of the angels on the top shelf,
and then I put the manger on the middle shelf,
and the three wise men go on the bottom shelf
so that the whole--
Whole bookcase tells a story.
That is exactly how Gramma Vera taught me to do it.
Come on.
Yes.
Oh, you can take over here.
Put those on there.
- Thank you. - Okay, so.
Put me to work.
It's always soft and squishy on the bottom.
- Got it? - Mm-hmm.
All right.
And then, anything that's sparkly goes
in front of a light so it can send rainbows.
She's absolutely right.
Absolutely right.
Soft and squishy, high as we can go.
No!
You put it down here.
Hey, thanks for letting me help.
I'm really glad you're here.
I am really glad you're here.
This was always my favorite part to do with Gramma Vera.
Yeah?
This was my second favorite part.
Can you guess my favorite?
I'm gonna give you a hint.
Hanging stockings?
Oh, so close.
Hanging the "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments on there.
What are those?
What?
I never did that with her.
Oh, wait a second, wait a second, you are gonna love this.
Okay, Alex!
There's an antique wooden box in that pile of boxes.
Do you mind finding it for me?
Yeah, for sure.
All right, so, Gramma Vera made these journals for me
and they have all of our family traditions in there.
Here, okay.
So, on this page she talks all about
the "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments.
So, a long, long time ago my great, great, great,
let's just say seven greats grandfather,
he was an artist and he worked with ceramics.
My mom did that.
Really?
Oh yeah, that's why we moved here,
so she could open a shop.
She was a very talented artist.
Wow.
That is so cool.
So, he fell in love with my seven greats grandmother,
but her parents didn't approve of them getting married.
Why not?
I'm sure they had very specific ideas
about who they wanted her to marry.
Probably, yes, and that was very common back then.
We don't do that anymore.
No, we do not.
So, he made her these ornaments.
All right, I think I found it.
Yes, yay!
Here, come here, come here, come here, come here.
Forbidden love, that's a pretty juicy
family history right there.
I know!
Well, they actually had to leave for America
before he had time to make the partridge and the pear tree,
so there is a family legend now
that the two turtle doves makes people fall in love.
That was my favorite part.
I loved how Gramma Vera told the story
and I like the ritual of it.
Where's the two turtle doves?
There's only 10.
What?
No.
She's right, there's only 10 ornaments in there.
But that doesn't make any sense.
Well, it's gotta be here somewhere.
Look, I pulled out all the boxes.
If it's not in one of those boxes
then I don't know where it would be.
We're gonna find it, okay?
We're all gonna help ya, right, guys?
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
I'll check the rest of those boxes.
We'll find it, it's okay.
Dr. Sharon, it's Mikayla.
Yeah, come on in.
- Hey. - Hey, guys.
What's goin' on?
Oh, we were sad that we couldn't find
the ornament yesterday, and so Mikayla wanted
to make you something to help you feel better.
It's a placeholder.
Wow, this is perfect.
Thank you so much.
Here, come here.
So, I was gonna hang one ornament
for each tradition that we crossed off Gramma Vera's list.
This is the one for decorating the house.
Can I do it?
Absolutely.
Any leads?
No, I'm gonna stop by Gramma Vera's old office
and then if it's not there,
I'm gonna turn Lucy's house inside out.
Well that's a start.
Well, let us know if there's anything we can do to help.
I'm a great detective.
I bet you are.
So does that mean I'm gonna see you guys later?
Yeah, we'll see ya later.
Good, great.
Thank you again.
Bye-bye.
- Bye. - Bye.
Hey.
- Hi. - Hi.
I just wanted to give you a five-minute warning
before the next appointment.
Thank you.
Any luck?
Nothing.
No.
Do you know anywhere else she might've stashed it?
No, if it's not in one of those boxes,
then it's not here.
But you might try to do some sleuthing
at the town tree lighting tonight.
A couple of years ago, the mayor invited
every family to hang one personal ornament
on the town tree, so, maybe there was a mix-up there.
That is a great idea.
I will definitely do that.
Thank you.
And I'll clean everything up.
Just gimme two seconds.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
One of my favorite days of every Christmas season
was watching your face when you came home from school
and saw Santa and his reindeer, right there at our house.
You told me as long as we displayed our Santa,
the real St. Nick would always know he was welcome here.
I thought that was the cutest thing I'd ever heard.
And so, every year, up he goes.
What are you doing?
Well, if you don't know,
then I'm worse off than I thought.
Okay, here, let me help you.
- Stay there. - Nope, it's balanced.
I'm almost there.
- Just, help. - Nope, I got it.
See, I'm assembling Santa and his reindeer.
Why?
So Santa knows that he's welcome.
Right
there.
Wasn't this list supposed to bring you Christmas joy?
What is more joyful than Santa?
I don't know, maybe not assembling
a 15-foot lawn ornament all by yourself.
You know what, okay.
You don't appreciate my Santa, you don't like sweets,
you don't have a tree preference.
I'm startin' think you just don't like Christmas.
Okay, first--
Oh, whoa, that's heavy.
Nobody enjoys assembling these things by themselves.
I'm havin' a great time.
Oh right, okay, talk to me tomorrow when everything hurts.
That is not my point.
You're evading my point, which is you don't like Christmas.
I think you're a secret Scrooge.
Let's do this one.
All right.
Right into this one, okay.
Yeah.
Ya know, the first year after Jennie died
I went all out for Christmas.
We had a rough year and I was so excited
to finally have something to celebrate.
Oh man, I did the cookies, little half-eaten carrots,
the little hoof prints through the snow,
there was a suit involved.
That sounds amazing.
Oh yeah, Mikayla still talks about it.
It had to be this big, over the top thing
that it would distract her from the fact
that her mom wasn't there, and it had to be
a big enough gesture to remind her that I always would be,
and that Santa would be there, too.
You are a really great dad.
Doing all that without Jennie?
I wanted to sleep right through January.
It was rough.
Yeah.
Last one.
I don't understand why anyone who doesn't have kids
would wanna do this.
I mean, I would be inside by the fire
reveling in the joys of adulting.
Well, it's because I'm not doing it for me either.
I'm trying to remember her.
Oh, why is this so hard?
Why is she making me do this?
Because she loved you.
Come on, let's see how we're lookin' here.
Yeah.
Okay.
Now we just have to put together Santa's village.
I'm sorry, what?
Oh, the traditional lighting
of the town Christmas tree.
I'll never forget the first time you saw it.
The lights came on and your eyes went wide as saucers.
I just love when we light candles and the whole town sings.
Oh, there's something so magical
about the stillness in that moment.
Well?
No, looks like she's doin' her thing.
I don't think she wants to talk to anyone right now.
Okay, well, I'm sure she'll make an excuse for you.
Come on, let's go see the reindeer.
Ooh, yay!
All by yourself over here.
- Hey. - Hey.
Yeah, Andrea mentioned Gramma Vera possibly
putting the ornament on the tree.
- So, I just thought I would... - Oh.
Nothin' yet, though, huh?
Nope.
I checked Lucy's, and the counseling center, and nope.
It's a couple of days of nope.
♪ And you'll always be my
And some guy came and humbugged all over your Santa,
and that was really great.
♪ A Christmas box is wrapped in red and white ♪
♪ With a bow
Lighting this tree later tonight.
Yeah.
♪ Laughter and the fire begins
It used to be one of my favorite traditions.
♪ Silver bells will ring when I kiss you ♪
Is it always gonna be like this?
What?
I just, I keep having these flash memories
of being here with her and my mom,
and if Christmas is gonna be like this,
I don't think I can do it.
Yeah, the first year after Jennie died,
it was really hard not to feel like Christmas
was just a giant shadow.
That Jennie, she would light up the whole house.
But whether she was gone or not,
I was not gonna let how I felt about Christmas
ruin it for Mikayla 'cause she's a kid.
She gets to be a kid once, and when you're a kid,
Christmas should be magical no matter what.
How did you do that?
No, seriously, I'm just by myself and I can barely do it.
At first I took one step at a time.
It's like driving with your headlights on.
You know, you just focus as far as you can see,
and most importantly, you don't do it alone.
My brother Alex, he moved here just to help me out.
And Vera, and Nick, and Ethel, and a whole town
full of wonderfully nosy neighbors
who were ready to help make Christmas magic happen
when I didn't feel like I had it in me.
You're welcome to join us if you want.
Okay.
- Dad. - Hey.
I pet the reindeer.
Nice.
And he licked the corn right outta my hands.
Ah, gross!
And awesome.
So, Dr. Sharon, did you find the ornament yet?
I did not, but thank you so much for asking.
It's okay, we'll find it.
Please join me in the traditional lighting
of the Pine Springs Christmas tree.
Five.
Four, three, two, one!
And, as your mayor, I want to welcome everyone
who has come near and far to join us.
Do you want me to go do that?
- The spirit and generosity - Yeah, yeah.
- this town embodies - Hey, wait.
is truly a miracle every season.
Hello.
My friend, Dr. Sharon Harper, is missing an ornament
that used to belong to Vera Harper.
It's white with two birds
and a little heart hanging from it.
So, if we could all look, we could make a Christmas miracle.
Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Aww.
Well, I don't think I can top that.
Welcome home, Dr. Sharon Harper.
We will all keep our eyes peeled, yes?
Yes!
And now please join me in enjoying
the rest of this fine evening.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
Is baking Christmas cookies on your list?
As a matter of fact, it is.
Would you like to bake cookies with me and Mrs. Ethel?
I would love that, thank you.
Do you want me to take you, or is your dad coming?
No.
Yeah, I could swing by.
I thought this was girl time.
Well, I will come by at the end then
and we can hang out for a bit.
Sounds great.
Okay.
Okay, well, goodnight.
Come on.
Goodnight.
Now, I'm no Ethel, but I just don't think
it's Christmas without a homemade batch of cookies.
Frosted sugar cookies are my favorite,
but you love a snickerdoodle just like your mom.
There's so much fun in getting your hands messy
and spending time in the kitchen together.
That's my favorite part.
Your favorite part seems to be licking the spoon,
and I can't blame you.
I've got something to check on out front.
Lucy, do you think you could give me a hand?
Absolutely.
Okay, I have a very important question for you.
What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
I only get one?
You're right.
Loose top three.
Okay, I like Ethel's snickerdoodles.
Naturally.
Gingerbread cookies.
Crunchy or soft?
Crunchy.
Yeah, good choice.
And I like my mom's
frosted sugar cookies that were shaped like snowflakes.
Or at least what I can remember.
You know I lost my mom when I was
just a little bit younger than you.
Yeah, I know, Gramma Vera told me.
If it makes you feel any better, I never forgot her.
In fact, I feel I know her even better now
than I ever did when I was younger.
Really?
Yeah.
Pinky promise.
Presenting Great Grandma Ida's famous lemon cake.
Really?
For your list.
The ornament, right?
Yeah.
Wow, that looks so beautiful.
Smell that.
Oh, it smells just the same.
- Ready? - Yes.
- I am ready. - All right.
How did you do this?
Oh, she fudged the recipe a bit.
'Cause I know back in the day, your great grandmother
wouldn't have baked with anything but lard, so.
- Lard? - Lard?
I don't wanna know any more.
That's the best, don't ask any questions.
Just eat the cake.
Hi, ladies.
- Hi! - Dad!
Hey, oh, hello.
Hey, oh, I see we're gettin'
into a little dessert before dinner, huh?
Hey, Sam, good to see you.
Good to see you, too.
This looks great.
Thank you for lending me your little helper today.
Oh, you're welcome.
Oh, we still have two more batches
of cookies in the oven.
I wouldn't dare intervene, but it is getting close
to dinnertime, so.
Do you want me to go out and get takeout or something?
That sounds amazing.
Can we get pizza?
Okay.
You should go to Patsy's.
I was talking to her, and she seemed to recall
Vera mentioned the two turtle doves ornament to her.
Seriously?
It might not be much of a lead, but it's somethin'.
- Go, yeah, go. - Yeah, yeah, no,
I'm gonna go.
Oh, ah!
That's fantastic, thank you so much.
I just need to get my jacket.
Ooh, it's cold, sorry.
Can you hold that?
So has Vera's list swayed you
to the charms of hometown living?
Oh, it would be heartbreaking to give up that house,
but I'm a finalist for a MacAdam's Fellowship,
and my interview is on the 30th.
Wow, you just became like 11% more intimidating.
I love my family and I love my home,
but my work and my everything else is somewhere else.
And moving back home was never part of the plan
and now I just feel torn between my past and my future.
Well, just to be clear, I don't think the goal
was ever to make you choose.
I think it was more to just give you options.
Wow, now you sound like my mentor.
It's not a bad thing.
I have a very clear path for this fellowship
and she just keeps urging me to think bigger
than the research, and there's no time for that
'cause in my field once you take your foot
off the gas, you just get left in the dust.
Ah yeah, the New York bubble.
I remember that well.
I live in Minneapolis.
- Right, okay. - Right.
I'm just saying New York is an achiever culture.
Yes.
And people who live there, they think the world
starts at the East River and then it ends
- at the Hudson River. - Yes.
And I love, I love being there.
I lived off of that, that ambitious culture,
that ambitious energy, that relentless pulse,
a lot of Thai food.
Yeah, there's nothing resembling Thai food
in Pine Springs.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No, but I firmly believed that leaving Manhattan
would mean a slower life, a slower career,
that I was settling for those things,
that all of my colleagues would rocket past me
to fame and acclaim.
So wait, you're saying that that didn't happen?
No, it totally did.
That's not helpful at all.
But it wasn't settling.
It was a new dream.
It was a yard for my daughter, a chance for my wife
to be a working artist.
What I wanted changed, so the plans changed.
And whatever you choose, that'll be the right thing, too.
Do you miss New York?
Yes, some days.
But I mean, look at this place.
I know.
- I know. - It's the perfect place
for Mikayla to grow up.
Well what about when she goes to college?
Oh, she'll never be that old.
No, I'm not focused on that.
I'm just tryin' to focus on Mikayla
as part of being a good dad.
Yes, and also...
And also what?
I am not a parent,
but I lost my mom at a young age like Mikayla.
And even though Gramma Vera was there for me
every step of the way, she also went back to school
and she got her master's degree in social work,
and she opened up her own therapy practice.
And I watched her do that.
She cared for me, yes, but at a time in my life
where I was afraid that being an adult
meant getting sick and dying,
she modeled what it was like to be a happy,
fulfilled adult even after loss.
It was one of the most important things
that she ever gave to me.
Now, it was a long time ago, so my memory's
a little hazy, but she said something about an ornament
that your great great grandfather whomever never made.
He never made the partridge in a pear tree.
Yes, and I remember she mentioned something
about maybe she could get someone to make one for her,
use one of the other ornaments as a model?
Do you have any idea who that was?
I'm not sure she even got around to doing it.
I mean, she just sorta mentioned it in passing.
I'm not sure if that's helpful, but.
It's more than I've had to go on so far.
Thank you so much.
Do not take his money.
No, no, no.
Your money's no good here tonight.
Thank you, Patsy.
You're welcome.
Welcome home, honey.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, and I will let you know if I find it.
Great.
Oh, Dr. Sharon.
Yes?
Are you going to the Christmas pageant
because I'm going to be an angel?
I wouldn't miss it.
Pinky promise.
And then we get hot cocoa.
Mikayla.
What?
Gramma Vera always took us to go get hot cocoa after.
It's on the list, have a cup
of the best hot cocoa in town.
I'm doing it for 11 pipers piping.
Do you wanna know why?
Why?
Because the cocoa will be piping hot.
Oh.
Dr. Sharon, seriously?
You're better than that.
I know, I know.
All right.
Sharon?
Hi.
Okay, so you know how this field works.
I can't just press pause on my research
to pursue some sort of passion project.
You know, once you lose momentum,
there is no going back.
The path is very clear, it is very specific, it is very--
Very limiting.
Which is the beauty of this fellowship.
I've seen scientists use this award
to fund their research, and that would be great.
But I've also seen them use it to integrate their work
into community outreach projects, to write books,
start treatment centers.
So, if you win, the question you'll have to answer is
what would you do if there were no more limits?
Well that is a terrifying thought.
Why?
What if I choose something else and I fail, ya know?
All of that research, all of that work for nothing.
If you care more about defending your past
than exploring the possibilities right in front of you,
you're gonna get stuck, fast.
Thank you.
So, Gramma Vera says have a cup of the best hot cocoa
in town, which is at the Pine Lodge Cafe.
Her with the Pine Lodge Cafe.
By the way, I've never agreed with her on this.
I know.
But the best is Nick and Ethel's
Peppermint Mocha Mountain at Holly and Ivy.
Yeah, it's good.
Sweetie, I respect your palate,
but you are very wrong because the best hot chocolate
in town is the salted caramel hot cocoa
from Jacques's Swiss Chocolatier.
No way.
If we made the whole town vote,
- I would win. - They would vote
for Jacques's because it is--
A moot point because Vera's list very clearly states
that she has to go to the Pine Lodge Cafe.
Forget what it says, because I say change is natural.
It's a sign of growth.
Wouldn't you agree, Sam?
Are we still talking about hot cocoa?
I love salted caramel, but to add flavors
to this competition creates too many variables
for us to be able to judge fairly.
And I say hot cocoa without the molten warmth
of a gooey caramel, the delightful grace notes
of salt tingling the tongue, why I say
give me flavored cocoas or give me death.
Okay, okay, Patrick Henry, thank you so much.
I think we're gonna have one plain category
- for science. - Thank you.
And then we'll have a wild category
for the flavored cocoas.
But that is not accurate.
No, but it will be fun, which was the original idea.
You're right, fun.
Okay, everyone, Mikayla is going
to pass out score cards.
We are gonna judge on three categories:
potency of chocolate, viscosity,
and marshmallow to drink ratio.
Oh yes, and everyone have fun.
There you are, take a pot.
Could you take the two on the end?
Here ya go.
- Do you guys want - Here you guys go.
a cup of chocolate?
Chocolate?
Anybody else need a chocolate?
You okay?
Yeah, why wouldn't I be?
I don't know, you just seem a little, I don't know.
Yeah, I'm good.
So why was Gloria surprised to see you?
Oh, she was probably surprised to see me there
because that store used to be Jennie's store.
Sam!
It's totally fine.
I was actually curious to see how it was gonna feel.
And it felt kinda nice.
Well, that's a lot to put yourself through for--
No.
For Mikayla.
You did it for Mikayla.
This is a lot more work than just getting
a little cup of cocoa at the Pine Lodge Cafe.
Well, as someone reminded me, the point
of these traditions is to enjoy them, right?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Instead of just goin' through the motions.
And I got to, ya know, put my Sharon Harper
spin on things.
Yes because nothing says glad tidings
quite like a control group and data collection.
See, he gets it.
Thank you.
And in second place is Jacques's original hot chocolate.
Thank you, thank you so much.
- Nice. - Thank you.
And I brought in a special guest to announce the winner.
Ready?
Okay, our first place winner is
Ethel's homemade cocoa from Holly and Ivy.
Yeah, it is.
Congrats, Ethel!
Thank you, guys, so much for doing this, thank you.
Sharon, what are you up to now?
Do you wanna join us for dinner?
I would love to, but I actually promised Lucy
that I would take her a home taste test.
But Mikayla, how wold you like to pick something else
off the list for us to do together?
That sounds awesome.
Yes.
It does sound awesome.
Come on, we can't do anything if you're still on the table.
♪ Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way ♪
♪ Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey ♪
♪ Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way ♪
♪ Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh ♪
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Now, I need an elf to help me pass out candies
to these boys and girls.
Do you think you can help?
Yes.
Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.
Oops.
Well, it's been a year since I was here with Gramma Vera.
You know, I can remember the exact fabric
from the chairs in the waiting room.
I can remember pretzels are B-7 in the vending machine,
but I have the hardest time remembering
what kind of candy Jennie put in the stocking
or how many cookies we left out for Santa.
I just wish that I didn't have such flashbulb moments
for those last terrible days and then such hazy memories
of our best family moments.
And I really wish that when those memories
did come back into focus that they just didn't...
Knock the wind right out of you.
Because they're just memories now.
I know.
This week it seems the more I try to keep Christmas alive
for her, the more painfully real it becomes
that she is not here anymore.
I never would have been able to confront
any of those memories if I hadn't been
making new ones with you.
Okay, I am going to show Sharon
some of our Christmas decorations.
Okay, well, I am going to do the last of the shopping.
Do you need anything else?
No, yes, I'm in desperate need of wrapping paper.
- Okay, cool. - Okay.
Well, I will see you all later.
Thank you.
Look at this place.
Did you do all of this by yourself?
No, my dad and Uncle Alex helped
a little bit, but.
Oh, this is one of the first ornaments my mom made.
Oh, wow.
That is so beautiful.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
And this is the one I made in preschool.
Very nice.
I can see where you get your talent.
Thank you.
Oh, this is my dad's.
- Oh yes. - Okay.
Yeah that one we can just tuck
around the backside of the tree there.
Oh no, no, no, I think that this
should go front and center, right?
So everyone can see it?
Yes.
Okay, I'm going to show you where all the Santas go.
- Okay. - Come on.
Come on.
All right, there are 37 Santas over here,
and my mom, she would always put lights and ribbon
on the garland, and she would always help me
put teddy bears up there.
Wait a second, what happened to the teddy bears?
I think they're with my mom's stuff
in a box in the basement somewhere.
Wait, what?
Which box?
I'll go get them, honey.
It's okay.
So, we would always save the tree for last
for when Dad got home, and while we waited
we would make muddy buddies.
You know what, I'm gonna need to know
what a muddy buddy is.
- Okay. - Okay.
You okay?
I don't remember the teddy bears.
Oh, you know what, it sounds like
that was something that was between she and her mom.
I wouldn't worry too much about it.
We would always take these and cover them
with chocolate and peanut butter and then shake 'em up
in a trash bag with powdered sugar.
I do not remember that.
'Cause we ate 'em all before you got home.
You what?
Well, do you wanna make some now?
No thank you.
Why not?
Because it would make me sad.
Hey.
Sweetheart, it's okay to be sad.
But you don't get sad.
Sure I do, I miss your mom every day.
Not at Christmas.
You're always happy.
Especially at Christmas.
I just, I don't wanna talk about it
because I want Christmas to be so magical
for you because I love you.
And I know that's what your mom wants for you, too.
I thought I was the only one that got sad.
You're not alone, okay?
I get sad, Uncle Alex gets sad, Sharon gets said.
I mean, she's been sad all week
because she misses her Gramma Vera.
It's true, I have been so sad.
And you know what, talking to your dad about it
has really helped me.
Aww.
He's actually a really good listener.
You can tell me anything, you can ask me anything.
Okay.
Is Christmas always going to be a little bit sad?
You know what, I think Christmas sometimes feels sad
because we just want everything to stay the same.
- You know? - Yeah.
And it can't.
But I realized something this week.
You know all those traditions that Gramma Vera
wrote in the journal?
Well, once upon a time, someone made them all up.
- Really? - Yeah!
There were new ornaments, and now we hang them
every single year, and my great grandmother would make
her lemon cake and now I eat it every Christmas.
Oh, or the Christmas that Uncle Alex
came down for the first time.
Yes!
So if we can just make space for the past
and also make some fun new memories
that make us so happy, Christmas doesn't have to be as sad.
Does that make sense?
Okay.
So what if you and I do something new?
Would that be fun?
Yeah.
Should we come up with a new cookie?
Should we paint an ornament?
We could make a wreath, we could--
Ooh yeah, we don't have a wreath.
Okay, we're makin' a wreath, then.
Okay, you go get your coat, go get your gloves,
your hat, and we're gonna get some awesome supplies.
- Okay? - Okay.
I don't know how to make a wreath.
Look, it's easy actually.
You just bend some branches
and then get some snazzy ribbon.
I don't know how to get snazzy with ribbon.
Well, you know a really wise person once told me
that you don't have to do it alone.
You've got Alex and you've got Nick
and you've got Ethel and you got a whole town
of really nosy neighbors that will help.
And me.
You got me.
And I can get really snazzy with a ribbon.
Did you mean what you said about making Christmas new?
Not until I said it ,
and when I said it it hit me that it was true.
Okay, I'm ready.
- Let's go. - Yeah.
Did you know wreaths are a Christmas symbol
for eternity because they have no beginning and no end.
I will forever remember making wreaths
with you and your mother.
It was a nice reminder when I needed it most
that life may be brief, but some things are everlasting.
- We need a wreath. - All right, let's see it,
let's see it.
- Okay. - Yeah.
Hold it up.
- That is beautiful. - Oh my gosh.
It's beautiful.
What do you think?
I like it.
I like it, too.
I like it a lot.
I think I am going to go hang this on the front door.
- Perfect. - Good idea.
And thank you guys because making a Christmas wreath
was on Gramma Vera's list, and now I can cross that off.
Oh, see that?
You're welcome.
I think I should give you guys some time alone.
No.
- No, I mean. - Look, you don't,
- it's really fine. - I know, no.
Besides I have a Christmas movie marathon
to cross off my list.
Look, I mean, there must be some kinda rule in there
about not watching a Christmas movie alone, right?
Might've read that somewhere.
And hey, even if ya didn't read in there.
Well stop shaking it.
Don't shake it, stop.
Ah!
Thank you guys so much for indulging me.
Oh no, twist my arm, movie night.
Is it time to press play?
I call sitting by Sharon!
Oh, I call dibs on the armchair.
Get in here.
There ya go.
- Popcorn? - Uh-huh.
- Yeah. - Okay.
Okay, are we ready?
- It's from London. - Oh!
Mr. Gower cabled you need cash, stop.
My office instructed to advance you up to $25,000, stop.
Hee haw and Merry Christmas, Sam Wainwright.
Will you just?
Yeah.
♪ Hark the herald angels sing
♪ Glory to the newborn king
♪ Peace on Earth
Morning.
Good morning.
I was wondering if Mikayla wanted to go ice skating tonight.
- Ya know, - Aww.
keep the streak alive.
She's actually at a sleepover
at her friend Cara's house.
Ah, well, worth a shot.
Have a good day.
I could go.
I mean, you don't have to.
Maybe we could go out to dinner before.
Yeah?
Yeah.
I mean, hey, you have lots of crossing off to do
- and the list takes priority. - That's true.
But ice skating alone sounds a little--
Well, not as much fun.
- No. - No.
Okay, dinner and ice skating.
- Dinner and ice skating. - Yeah.
I'll see ya tonight.
See ya tonight.
There is nothing wrong with wanting
to date him, by the way.
It's just--
I know, I know, it's not a good idea
to start something if I don't plan on staying.
Look.
I now can't imagine not being here for that baby
and I can't imagine not having Christmas in that house
and I can't imagine not seeing
Mikayla run across the yard or Sam.
Or Sam.
And I also can't imagine walking away
from everything that I have worked for for my entire life.
And, by the way, the interview, it's in 48 hours now.
I don't wanna pick.
You've got a double whammy right now.
You are confronting the death of Gramma Vera,
probably after outrunning it all year if I know you at all,
and I do, plus it's Christmas.
A whole season of new beginnings in the midst
of unlikely circumstances.
Death and birth and miracles.
Those are all terrible times to make permanent decisions.
Yeah, well ya know what?
Gramma Vera didn't exactly leave me a lotta time.
Gramma Vera, she was a wonderful grandmother
and I loved her, but that was a bad deal
and I think you should ignore it.
Keep the house for now, sell it later.
Take a sabbatical from work and write or paint or whatever.
Ask them to delay the interview for the award.
I don't think it works that way.
Just because that's not the way it works,
doesn't mean it shouldn't work better than the way it works.
You know what, you were on a real roll until then.
I just can't believe that a smart woman like you
can't buy herself some more time and some better options.
Thank you.
Here we are.
So, any luck with the ornament?
Oh, no.
And I think that's okay.
Yeah, I think that I am just gonna take a break
and focus on the good things that I have left
right in front of me.
Now it's my turn to cross-examine you.
- My goodness. - Yeah.
Do you bring a lot of dates to Chez Noel, Samuel?
Objection, leading the witness.
Overruled.
I have frequented Chez Noel many times, but no.
I can't say that I've brought many dates here.
That would require dating.
Is that because you didn't want to
or because the options were limited.
At first I didn't want to.
In the beginning I was just really tryin'
to take it one step at a time,
but then when I was finally open to it,
I remembered that I live in a very small town.
All right, so this not only limits your options--
It ensures that everyone knows how that date went
by the time they make their coffee the next morning?
Yes.
Yeah, trust me, I know.
Try dating as a teenager in Pine Springs.
Yeah, yeah, you get it.
I do.
But yes, I am, I do want to be dating.
So wait, so wait, ice skating
is a Harper family Christmas favorite?
Only every Christmas.
Favorite?
And every Friday in middle school
because what else was there to do?
Aww man, I forgot Mikayla's
gonna be in middle school next year.
Middle school.
I don't know anything about middle school girls.
Well, tell her she can always call me.
I feel like I'm going to blink
and she's going to be in college.
Oh man.
It's just like .
What's the plan after that?
I have no idea what I'm gonna do with myself.
Anything you want.
The world is your oyster.
So wait, so ice skating was which ornament?
10 lords a leaping, of course.
Oh, that was really good, by the way.
Come on, come on.
Now you have to do it.
What?
- Yeah, leap. - That, no.
- Yes, leap. - No thank you.
- No, I'll trip-- - Oh!
Are you--
I'm so sorry, are you okay?
No, I'm fine.
I'm so sorry I pulled you down.
No, I tried to catch you and then I lost my balance.
Mikayla is so excited that you're coming
to the Christmas pageant, by the way.
I got a glimpse of the angel costume
she's gonna wear, it is...
Oh, what?
I got an email and they changed the interview,
and I actually, oh.
- Oh. - I gotta fly
to New York in the morning.
I am so sorry.
Okay, hey.
No, it's okay.
Mikayla will understand.
What about you?
Yes.
It just hit me that this week is gonna end
and it's probably not gonna end with you
packing up and moving to Pine Springs.
I don't know that.
Yeah.
I don't.
I mean, the fact that I'm here right now
and not frantically pacing and preparing
for this interview speaks volumes
about how I've changed my mind about Pine Springs.
Being here, it just, it showed me how much
I was missing the home and community
and a connection to my past and future.
Possibilities that I have never even considered.
Oh, I want you to know how hard it is
to not kiss you right now.
I'm sorry, I can't.
Look.
I wish I could be the guy that just kisses you
and doesn't care what it means,
but if I'm being honest with you, this is new to me,
feeling this way again.
Ya know the part of me that just needs the world
to make sense needs to know that when I kiss you
you're not gonna have one foot out the door.
Sam, I wish that I had a definitive answer
to be able to give you, I just--
Oh no, I really, really need you to not answer right now.
A giant pit of guilt would just open up
beneath me and swallow me whole.
I couldn't live with myself if I felt
like you decided not to stay and then me kissing you
just somehow may have made a difference.
I'm sorry.
Why didn't you kiss him?
Because he made it very clear
that he did not wanna be kissed.
No, he wanted to kiss you, he just needed
you to say that you were staying first.
Lucy, you were the one that told me not to kiss him.
Don't listen to me, what do I know?
Well, this has been supremely helpful.
I gotta go.
What's your plan here, Shar?
To have absolutely no plan.
That's what I've got.
All right, I gotta go.
I'll call you after, okay?
Bye.
We will be well on our way to creating a culture
that knows how to heal trauma,
that knows how to get down on the ground with the wounded
and say I know that this hurts, but you are not broken,
and you can not stay here because anything bad
that happens to you, happens to us, too.
15 million views and counting,
countless media appearances.
You've jumpstarted a major conversation
about a topic that most people would prefer to avoid.
That's inspiring.
We were particularly struck by how your talk
made the scientific creative and personal.
Can you speak to how this grant and fellowship
would personally change your life?
Earlier this year I lost my grandmother,
the woman who raised me, and inspired me
to go into this field.
A week ago I went home to celebrate Christmas
and get her affairs in order.
Even though I'm supposed to be an expert in this field,
even though I was prepared for how my brain
and body might respond,
I discovered that this experience brought me to my knees,
and it made me think more deeply about the gap
between what we know and how we actually experience things.
I love you, dude, but you have like zero chill.
I mean, what do you think she was gonna say?
I don't know.
I thought I was stating the obvious.
Right, because your life screams
I am open to dating right now.
Ya know, come on.
What?
You're living with your younger brother
who is helping you raise your 10 year-old daughter.
Okay, but--
And you know I love Jennie.
- All right. - Okay.
All I'm saying is if you really are ready
for your life to change, ya have to make space
for somethin' new.
How did it go?
I got it.
I can't believe that I got it.
Okay, this is a teddy I got for your mom in college.
I gave that to her on our first official date.
Hey.
What are you doin'?
Making space.
These are the last of Jennie's boxes from the basement.
And they liked that?
They loved that I was thinking big
and they got really excited about some of my ideas.
Even if you don't know how to make them happen?
Well, if I knew how to make them happen,
then that would mean that somebody
had already done them, right?
Okay, so all of this can go to Gloria for sale?
Yeah, I love that idea.
Okay, and then this should go to Nick and Ethel.
- Okay. - Yeah.
By the door, Nick and Ethel.
Sure, got it.
What's that?
This, this, I don't know what this is.
Maybe this decision will take me off of the track
that I had planned.
It is going to be super scary for sure, but new always is.
But it could also be bigger than anything
that I have ever planned.
It's messy, very messy, and I definitely have
more questions than I have answers right now for sure,
but I just have a feeling that I will know the answers
when I see them.
Dad.
Dear Jennie, I can't tell you how delighted I am
that you've agreed to make us a partridge in a pear tree
to complete our family set.
I so love your work and I'm sure if anyone
can do it, it's you.
Please use this ornament as a model
and return it when you're finished.
Take all the time you need, love Gramma Vera.
Look, little lady, I just don't want you
to get your hopes up.
You don't understand, she pinky promised.
I know, but hey, things happen
and Sharon's got a lot on her plate right now.
Dad, if you break a pinky promise,
I don't wanna get into it, but it's messy.
She's going to be there.
Okay, all right, we gotta go, hon.
Let's go.
Do I have my, yeah, okay.
Long, long ago under the biggest star
the sky has ever seen, an angel sent the message of hope.
♪ Angels we have heard on high
♪ Sweetly singing o'er the plains ♪
♪ And the mountains
Any word from Sharon?
No.
♪ Echoing their joyous strains
♪ Gloria
♪ In excelsis Deo
♪ Gloria
♪ In excelsis Deo
Yeah!
Ah!
You were magnificent.
I'm really glad you came back.
I'm gonna go talk to your dad, okay?
Okay.
Okay, I'll see ya in a few.
You did so good.
- Hey. - Hey.
So how did it go?
- Did ya get the-- - Okay, now it's
my turn to ramble, okay?
Since Gramma Vera passed away, I have been running
as fast as I can, just chasing goals
to a place where she would be proud of me.
I decided to take a leap of faith, believing her
when she said that I could never disappoint her.
I think that's a great--
I'm not finished.
I'm gonna break Gramma Vera's challenge.
I'm not gonna make a decision on the house yet.
I'm gonna hang on to the house for a year.
- A year? - Mm-hmm.
What are you gonna do?
I'm gonna write a book.
I am going to collect people's stories
and use story to shift how we view the brain
in the face of loss.
And who knows, maybe I'll open a grief center, I don't know.
Okay, so I'm guessing you got the grant.
I did.
Okay, so a year, and then...
I know you told me that you didn't wanna kiss me
with one foot out the door and maybe the promise
of a year isn't enough for you, but man,
I would really love to kiss you on the promise of tomorrow.
And I don't have a sign, a big neon sign
to prove to you that--
There might be signs.
They might not be neon, but sometimes there's signs.
Where did you?
It's the craziest story.
Isn't it amazing how seven generations ago
two people fell in love, one day at a time,
and now here we all are.